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If it is just a hobby, why bother with expensive university? Most people can perform perfectly valid research from their bedroom or garage.
by jankotek 6y ago
If it is just a hobby, why bother with expensive university? Most people can perform perfectly valid research from their bedroom or garage.
- bloodorange 6y ago"If it is just a hobby" What, from the post you are replying to, leads you to this? If it was not an intentional misrepresentation, I am curious about the line of thought leading to this.
- abhinav22 6y agoThe post above it (copied below). It’s a very valid counterpoint imo :-) Rumour has it doing a PhD might actually be a rewarding experience in its own right, and not derive its value solely from the possibility of remaining in academia.
- pmyteh 6y agoIt is quite possible to do research as a hobby. It is very difficult to do proper research training as a hobby, and essentially impossible to do a research apprenticeship (which is what a PhD is) outside of an environment where you are being supervised by other PhDs. If you have a spouse or close friend who's prepared to supervise you, fine - but otherwise it's likely to be at a university or research lab. Coupled to that, PhD slots are generally funded, so university at PhD level is normally less 'expensive' and more 'opportunity costs'.
- thomasahle 6y ago> If it is just a hobby, why bother with expensive university? Perhaps it allows you to work closely with other researchers in your field. Also note that PhD students usually don't pay tuition. > Most people can perform perfectly valid research from their bedroom or garage. This seems pretty unfunded. Unless you mean most people who have already done a PhD.
- jankotek 6y agoCost of masters degree, living cost in expensive city, lost wages... It is expensive! You do not have to be member of academia to interact with other researches. 》This seems pretty unfunded. Unless you mean most people who have already done a PhD. My experience is from astronomy and cryptography. You can make good contribution without being part of academia. Data are freely available on internet. Also code.
- johncolanduoni 6y agoIf observational astronomers all work independently out of their apartments with a $1k telescope for a few decades, a lot of areas of theoretical astronomy are going to languish. Not to mention other fields that need crazy things like an actual lab.
- jankotek 6y agoWork independently with $1k telescope from balcony? Why? This is completely out of context. First I talked about data analysis and software development. Secondly, even in observational astronomy, anyone can make proposal and get observing time on large instrument. Or rent 20" in Chile and use it remotely.
- johncolanduoni 6y agoI’m sure you’re aware that astronomers use instruments other than terrestrial optical telescopes, many of which you cannot rent any equivalent of. My point was that you first dismissed needing to get a PhD to do research out of hand, and then refined your dismissal to astronomy and cryptography. Whichever scope you choose, there’s a wide body of research you can’t do without either institutional connections or a very large trust fund, no matter how much of an autodidact you are.
- jankotek 6y agoI have personal experience from those two fields. Perhaps other fields are different. But trust me, you do not need a PhD to get observing time on 4 meter telescope.
- the_only_law 6y agoOh god I wish. I cant even afford the equipment for many non-research projects, assuming they would sell it to me in the first place.